TOUR ESSENTIALS: Paces

The first line of PACES‘ national tour presser contains this gem: “Paces is the human equivalent of summer. He’s friendly, he’s bright and when you need your tropical fix his music’s got you covered.” We’re not usually the kind of people to toot our own horn, but we just can’t come up with a better description of Paces.

Off the back of his latest single (and video), ‘Hold It Down’, a track we called“a post-millennium mix that is inspired by Jersey Club music (ratchet kicks and beats), future house and garage cuts”, Mikey Perry is hitting the road. Obviously we thought it’d be wise to see what he actually can’t live without on the road. Here are some classic Tour Essentials from Paces, with a shout out to Benson for good measure.

BIG OL’ BLOCK OF CHEESE

(SPOILER ALERT) This is not actually a big ol’ block of cheese. Someone at a show once called it that and the name really stuck with me. It’s a cheap knock-off of a Pelican case which I carry my MPD in. One of the latches is broken now so I’m going to have to shell out for a new one. Every time I board a plane with it, the security guards shit a wedding, because they think there’s a drill inside.

EXTREMELY HIPSTER TOILETRIES BAG

This contains a separate set of toiletries so that I never have to unpack it. It’s a small luxury, but not having to unpack and repack my toiletries bag every weekend makes me feel like I’m saving valuable minutes.

MUSIC STUFF

For me, there’s nothing better than making music in my home studio, but sometimes you’ve gotta get it done on the road. Sometimes just setting aside two hours in a hotel or on a plane can be totally worthwhile. I get really inspired when I’m out playing shows and watching other people’s shows. It’s great to be able to sketch an idea when it’s fresh in your mind.

RUNNERS AS CASUAL SHOES

I only became a ‘runners as casual shoes’ guy about 6 months ago but I haven’t looked back since. They’re comfy on plane trips, plus you can wash them when someone spills a raspberry Flirtini on them in the club. Also, I go for a run twice a week. These aren’t my actual runner-runners, but if I’m away for more than a few days at a time they do the trick.

NECK PILLOW FROM BENSON

I always thought these were the most ridiculous things ever. I thought they were strictly for adult babies who can’t stand the thought of having to support their own neck. But all that changed when I had a show in Townsville with Benson. I’d never met him before in my life and he just showed up at my hotel with this pineapple-print neck pillow as a gift for me. What an absolute lord! This now comes with me every time I fly to Perth.

You can catch Paces live on his huge national tour in support of ‘Hold It Down’. Dates below: